Seymour Duncan SH-1 '59

Humbucker, designed to sound like a classic PAF (similarly to seth lover pickup) unsure of impedence.

Installed this in neck position on a Tele partscaster i built, paired with a Dimarzio Area Hot T in bridge. Mike from Incubus uses this pickup in some of his guitars. I transferred this from my Schecter 006 Blackjack, which i sold minus the '59. left the JB in the bridge of that guitar, I didn't like anything about the JB, way too dark, especially on a mahogany body.

The output is reasonably high, i have the pickup sitting quite low in the pickguard, to match the dimarzio in bridge. i play all sorts; rock, alternative, church, even beat it from michael jackson if i feel like it. this pickup is suitable for neck, but i haven't tried it in bridge. the tone is quite balanced, i would like a little more high end, it doesn't always cut through the mix when my amp is clean. i've got it hooked up to a parallel/series push/pull potentiometer, which makes for some surprisingly "stratish' sounds from a tele. this pickup coil-splits or runs parallel extremely well.

I would probably use this pickup again. i've been playing about 10 years, i don't own that much stuff. an old 25-watt alron amp, and G2D Custom Overdrive and Nova Delay as my effects. This pickup has a nice warm tone compared to the bridge pickup, but not too warm and mushy. i am 90% satisfied with its sound, i'm interested in trying lindy p-90's in my next build though.

Passive humbuckers. Not sure of impedance.

Heritage H535, both positions, Duncan '59 came as an option brand new.

Moderate output, balanced tone - not mid scooped or extremely mid humped. I use them mostly clean with delay into a fender twin or drri. Ocasionally use a fulldrive ii overdrive.

Suitable for rock, jazz, maybe country or anything else that doesn't require hot hot pickups.

The neck can get very warm, bordering on muddy with the tone knob turned down. Good for jazz or subdued chord work. With the tone knob up, the neck is clear and fat sounding without pronounced mids. Nothing distracting or lacking in the tone, very versatile and useful.

The bridge can get a little edgy and bright, which is fine. I like that it can get a good bright sound for country and still have some punch left over for grittier rock sounds.

They both react well to fender style amps and can both clean up while retaining the ability to push the amp a bit. They sound just right pushing a marshall too.

It's my favorite humbucker I've owned. My others are hot (sd distortion and sd jb) so the 59s fill in the gap nicely. Been playing 15years and use other guitars with singles and p90s. I love that these pups can give a vintage output type sound to round out my singles and p90s. I've got guitars with pickups that run the spectrum from weakish telecaster singles, lipsticks, p90s to hot humbuckers. These fill my need for moderate output buckers. This may also be my most versatile guitar now.

Humbucking pickup with Alnico V magnet. You can also tap the coil on this humbucker. I think it's something like 7.43K, so it's a vintage sounding pickup. Don't expect to get hard rock or metal out of it.

It came stock in a Washburn X-50 Pro Q. It's sitting in the neck position. The bridge pickup is a SH-11. I know people are using it, just not exactly who.

It's got a fairly low output. But I didn't really expect it be a high output monster or anything like that. I use it straight into Vox Pathfinder, sometimes with a Guv'nor Plus or a Dano Fab Chorus in the chain. This pickup doesn't have a lot of mids. That was pretty obvious to me when I first played it. It's got a good amount of bass and slightly less on the treble side. This thing has got a good sound to it. It's not harsh, it's pretty mellow sounding. Very smooth actually, even with gain. Doesn't get that razor quality when distorted. Nice full sound as well. Can sound a bit like it's lacking something though. That midrange being "relaxed" really does make a noticeable difference. Personally, I'd like to see this with more midrange. All I really have to do crank up the mids a bit when I switch to my neck pickup. It works better, but I think if I invested in one of those MXR EQ pedals, I can tweak the midrange more to my liking.

I play blues. Classic rock too, and some of the 80's metal (no hair metal though, just not my thing). It works well enough for me. I don't need a high gain pickup. This fits the bill for me.

Jury's still out on this one. I like it, but that lack of mids is bugging me. I'm gonna try to fix it with an EQ pedal. If I can't work it out, I'll probably go with either a Seth Lover, those have a bit more midrange. Been at guitar for a little bit, 10 years or so. Other than this guitar I've got a Peavey Predator EXP. I really dig the way the notes seem to have this richness surrounding them. And that lack of midrange is the only thing I don't like. But I'm gonna try and work on it rather than just go get another pickup. I think I can get it to work for me.

Brilliant new school take on a venerable old school legend from a premier USA pickup maker. The passive, humbucking SH-1 '59 neck and bridge pickups from Seymour Duncan are are nothing short of stunning.

I installed these in my Epiphone SG G-400 Cherry in both the bridge and neck positions(no covers) as the stock covered pickups were too dark and muffled for my tastes and lacking a lot of upper mid and high frequencies.

An impedance of 8k puts the SH-1's squarely in the vintage output bracket however that's not to say they perform in a vintage fashion. After installation I played these into my Crate BV-120 and the result was fantastic. All the definition and high end that was lacking in the stock pickups was suddenly flying off the strings, although the tone was bright it still remained balanced and focused in the bridge and neck postions whith the middle position reminiscient of the old 50's gretsches, it has to be heard to be believed. I play predominantly rock with shred over the top, a bit of clean jazz and these pickups did it just the way i liked it, sparkling.

When i get my next SG i'll definitely be putting a set of these in it. I've been playing and listening for 10 years and was floored by what these pickups delivered, can't put my SG down most days now, the tone from these is inspirational. I also have an SH-4 JB in another guitar but Iwanted the same sound in a lower output level and that's just what the '59's produced. I don't use a lot of effects in my playing however the ones I do have worked in harmony with these pickups, I've now found my tone with these. . .

Passive humbucker

Have a 30 yr old Schecter Tempest les Paul copy.I got the neck position pickup to replace crappy Japanease pickups on the guitar. I also have the SH4 Jeff Beck bridge pickup also to replace crappy bridge pickup on the guitar.

This pickup was bought after listening to the Seymour Duncan audio samples and loved it from the start.I wanted a really blues sounding pup as the SH4 which is in my bridge position is quite a rock sounding pup so wanted tonal veritility with my guitar and this one does the job perfectly.The sound is a really blues sound with a nice zingy tone which i like. This pup also has a very sharp sound that almost hurts your ears when played above the 15th fret which i also like but my dog hates!!! The 59 sound much better for clean mellow sound than the SH4 but the SH4 sound better with the distorted rock sound; this is where the 59 looses it a bit but still sounds good.

If this pup was stolen or destroyed i would be totally gutted as i really like the sharp blues sound that it has. I like it much better than the SH4 Jeff Beck which i also like a lot but doesnt quite cut the blues sound,better for rock like i said. If you are like me and want a blues sound then go for this pup as i totally love it cos it makes me sound good!!!!!!!!

Humbucker
Zebra bobbins

I put an SH-1 into my 1978 Gibson Les Paul standard when the original stock bridge pickup failed and went microphonic.

It is better than the stock pick up was (not that this was bad). It is quite bright, and is more sensitive to the volume control, which suits me very well. I use the volume and tone controls a lot. It has about as much or a little less output than the old stock pickup, which had less than a lot of the new humbuckers out there.

The mids may be a little less prominent, but that could just be placebo effect because I read it. It is definitely not ???scooped???. I like it a lot.

Signal path: ancient Dunlop Wah --> MI Audio Crunch Box --> TS-808 --> Boss Flanger --> Boss digital delay 2 --> early 1970s Fender Super Reverb (or 1989 Laney 100W AOR + 4 x 12).

I use my LP for blues, rock, hard rock and psychodelia. I am very into the sound of my amps...

I liked the effect of the change so much that I got another for the neck. The SH-1 did not really change the character of the guitar, but accentuated what was already there. It should be noted that my 78 Les Paul has a three-piece maple neck, so it???s naturally a little brighter than the 59 re-issues. That would definitely affect the way the tone of this pickup ???sits??? within the tone of the instrument.

I???d consider trying Burstbuckers next time, but at the price they???d have to be very impressive to sway me. The SH-1 does a good job for me.

Duncan SH-1n '59, Humbucker, Nickel cover, single lead. Neck Position.

02 Les Paul Standard, 50's neck with Burstbucker Pro's. Didn't like the Pro's at all. Couldn't rip them out fast enough. Installed Gibson '57 Classics and liked them much better. Like a fool I thought I wanted something else so I tried the Duncan '59.
Read on..............

I didn't like the Pro's at all so I installed a pair of Gibson '57 Classics. Ahhh much better. But after awhile I "thought" the '57s were not hot enough. I wanted another change so the first thing I did was try to get a deeper tone in the neck pickup so I researched and thought the SH-1n would do the trick even though I was a little leary of the comment "slightly scooped mids" which to me is leaving the PAF territory. So I installed the '59 in the neck of my Les Paul. Well hmmmmm this isn't working. While the '59 sounded pretty with deeper bass and softer highs than the '57 Classic, the lack of midrange just ruined it for me. The mid's almost sounded "modeled" to me. While the rest of the tone was very sweet it just did not have the bite of the Gibson. Also the Duncan being a Alnico V was a mismatch with the '57 Classic Plus in the bridge which is Alnico II. Could not match up the focus and volume evenly. I tried and tried but ended up throwing the '57 Classic back in the neck and wondered why I ever pulled it in the first place. I like the Classic much better for my setup and taste. For me using a Marshall JTM45 and Les Paul, the Classics are going to be hard to beat. I will keep the SH-1n and try it in a different guitar. That works sometimes. Something with very loud mids may just need this pickup. I don't think this is the perfect '59 humbucker. The eq is just off.

I may try it in a Hollow body but for my Les Paul it didn't work for me. Too soft. If Seymour Duncan would take a '57 Classic, massage it's tone first to be just bigger and then smooth off the very top end and only slightly enhance the bass, then it would sound like the real PAf humbuckers of 1959. Just leave the strong rich mids alone!
I'm a total Marshall/Gibson/Humbucker guy. Overall this is a nice humbucker with "some" good qualities. Didn't floor me.

Pickup features: Humbucking/passive
Impedence or other specs: 8k and 9k

Model of guitar or bass: Jackson DK2
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Seymour Duncan JB and SH-6 Distorsion
Other pickups on guitar: Little '59 in middle and neck position
Artists using this pickup: don't know
You musical style(s): melodic death metal, rock, punk, clean stuff
Reason for pickup change: Jb has too mucj treble detail, SH-6 has too much distorsion and those 2 pu has toooooo much output!

The putput level is moderate and it is the best pick up i've ever own! I'm playing it through a 100watt hi-gain amp (ENGL Powerball!!!) and it is the best pick up for hi-gain sound. don't belive to peolple who tell that it is unswitable to metal. it isn't true!!! This pick up is incredibly balanced. bass, mids and trebble are very very equilibrated!
Now i can hear every note of a hi-gain powerchord!!!

So, if you are looking for ultra versatile pickup, buy this one!!! Clean sound, crunch, vintage distorsion and modern ultra-gain distorsion.

From sweet clean arpeggios to distorted (but clear!!not like kinda "shhhhhhhh" sound) hi-gain moder sound like In Flames, Children Of Bodom, At The Gates, Dark Tranquillity &co.

COmpared to Dimarzio pu it delivers more "real" sound of the guitar: full, clean and warm..so,the best!
Compared to EMG 81\85 the sh-1 blows it away! with sh-1, the distorsion is much more powerfull and not compressed. remeber: passive is better than active.
Put it with 2 Little'59 in mid and neck position and you will have ultra-versatile pick-ups.

Original PAF sounding copy / passive
1-Conductor with Braided Shielding
Neck: 7.43 k
Bridge: 8.13 k
Neck: 6.8 KHz
Bridge: 6 KHz

Alnico V Bar Bass 6 / Mid 3 / Treble 8

I just installed both neck and bridge pickups in my Korean Hamer Rick Nielson Explorer replacing the stock "Duncan Design" 101N and 102B pickups.

Artist using this pickup are: Ben Harper (neck & bridge), Robben Ford (neck & bridge), Mike Einzinger / Incubus (neck).

I changed the pickups because although the Duncan Designs were adequate, I bought both pickup used on Ebay for the price of 1 new and have tried all other duncans except these for some reason. The JB being my favorite bridge, with the Custom/Custom being 2nd favorite bridge pickup. I usually have the JAZZ SH-2 neck pickup or SSL-1s in middle and neck on my super strats. These pickups are fresh to my ears and fingers without all the high treble gain.

Output perceived to be mid to low but made up for any high gain pickup in tone. High gain pickups like my JB's hold the massive distortion and volume better because the coils are beefier and the notes are rapid and sharp. The 59's have this "air" surrounding the note and each note comes through like a chord...Fat and full and the sustain sits there until you stop it. It has a low end response which can make a speaker "waffle" and the low notes carry weel without too much mud or mush. Mid range is your guitars natural sound anyway so it does not boost much here. and Treble response is so damn even across the entire spectrum that it won't hide your playing mistakes. What you play is what you get...but I will say that the honey rich sustain on loud clean makes your playing breathe.
i don't feel like these pickups would hurt any style, but they sound like your favorite "blues" track instantaneously. I play all styles and could pull them all off. Heavy Metal just does not sound as raspy or trebly...it sounds like Gary Moore's timbre of metal.
I didn't find it unusable as some have reviewed. It is a sweeter change to my tone. Sponge factor of about 10

If it was destroyed or stolen, I would use these again.
I have been playing the better part of 25+ years and have owned every amp and piece of equipment out there. I currently play a 50 watt Landgraff "plexi" style head with a 2X12 Bob Burt 100 year old pine cab w/ Vintage 30 80 watt and a Heritage 80 watt celestions mixed. Both speakers make up for each other to create a better tone period. I use Landgraff Mo D and Dynamic overdrive for the base of my overdrive/distortion tone and use Xotic RC/BB and AC here and there. Keeley four knob compressor. Boss RE-20 Space Echo. MXR phase and flanger. Jim Dunlop 535Q Wah. My fingers and George L cable in everything including wiring my guitar pots to output jack with it.
I love the original tone finger print these pickups have and hate nothing about it. Like I said, i have owned every amp and pedal and rack unit and Seymour Duncan pickup out there except these until now. These pickups do not limit tone or expression or imagination. you would want these in one of your most warmest sounding guitars, you know where you strum it like an acoustic without being plugged in and the note are clear and transparent. I wish it was scatterwound for more air and open notes...but you have to order that custom from Seymour.
I am so satisfied and happy that the notes have such a chewy fat presence with air surrounding each note...it floats you to play what you hear inside your head really well.

Passive humbucker, 7,4K neck/8,1K bridge. Alnico 5 magnets. Single conductor cable vintage blues set.

I put these to my lespaul ( a chinese copy built point to point as original - there is even a gibson logo at the head). Original pickups were lifeless muddy copies with huge ceramic magnets and definately no clarity. I just simply wanted to make my guitar sound like it is a real Gibson.

Vintage output, perfect for my kind of bluesy hardrock and jazzy cleans.
The output drives the tube amp just the right amount to get the sound cut through or roll the volume pot a bit to get sensetive cleanier sounds. Bridge pickup is smooth a little rebelious not too bassy sounding. Middle gives you very mild little crispy sounds, perfect for southern rock 'cos of little 'honky tonk' feel. And finally neck gives you nice smooth lead and beatifull jazzy clean tones when tone rolled down a bit and on full bright it gives you nice little biting lead sound. Overrall very much like Gibson PAF

I'm using Peavey Classic 30 tube amp with just basic cry baby and digitech compressor. A basic kinda cheap tube amp which actually sounds great with these pickups. Single eq makes things simple but gives you no chance of variation between clean and overdrive. With mids on full, trebles almost zero and bass little over the half way the clean channel sounds nice little jazzy with these. Overdrive channel sound bit weak and unsinging alone but with help of compressor the sound is pure rock n roll.

This pickup is made for bluesy rock. For metal something more crushing is much more suitable for bridge.

If it was destroyed or stolen I would definately buy it again or basically just test some other vintage SD like alnico II or seth lover. I've been playing for five years and already gone through multiple gear variations. I have plenty of other guitars with most of them duncans fitted in. For some more bite needing stuff i use my selfmade mahogany bodied guitar with Duncan JB and Jazz. To compare it to 59' JB gives you plenty of output and singing mids ( think some late 80's hairmetal) and Jazz quite similar but more clarified sound at clean but with drive it doesn't give you so paf like lead tone. Then I have my other selfmade mahogany bodied guitar with schaller golden 50's. Love them, so warm so crispy and beatiful round leadtone but very bright still. A fender strat with Duncan JB Junior in bridge to give some bite or when needed to be tapped and two Duncan aps 1 single coils with very nice honk.

I'm very happy with these ones. I chose 59's just 'cos of price (120??? for whole set) and I have no reason to complain - just what I wanted to fullfil the lack of respect when people sees the Gibson logo at my guitar and doesn't know that it's a fake.

Humbucking pickup. Not quite sure if it's supposed to be a PAF clone or not.

I had this pickup in an Epiphone Les Paul Ultra in the bridge position. Replaced the stock Epi Alnico pickup.

I didn't find the pickup to be too terribly hot. I am the type of player that uses my guitar's volume knob to get more grit (no pedals or anything). The tone was incredibly clear and articulate and exceptionally clean and shimmering. When turned up, it got very crunchy and leads were screaming in a good way. Sounded a bit "thin" in the LP Ultra

However...I must say that I didn't care much for the pickup. I usually like a cleaner tone, but I've found that I gravitate to amps and pickups that would be considered more "gainy"...I find that I'd rather have the gain and not use it than need it and not have it. To get any sort of crunch I'd have to turn my guitar up to at least 7.

I have to add a disclaimer though: I had this guitar in an Epi LP Ultra, which was a guitar that I didn't care much for either. I am not totally ready to hate the SH-1 because I realized that it may have made a difference in the tonal qualities being in a guitar that had no weight to it and felt like a piece of plastic.

I play blues, blues/rock, and AC/DC and GNR style hard rock. It was a good pickup for those, I just needed a hotter pickup.

I've had plenty of other trials with Seymour Duncan Pickups (SH-5 Custom, SH-6 Distortion, JB-4), and this one rates probably at the bottom. However, like I said before, it very well could have been disagreeable for me because of the guitar I had it in. I have actually been considering buying another SH-1 and trying to put it in a heavier bodied guitar to see if it sounds beefier.

Passive Humbucker. 7.4k neck/ 8.1 bridge. Alnico 5 magnets. Mine were special ordered with Zebra bobbins, gold pole pieces and slug pieces. I later added Gold covers.

I put these in an '05 Flying V (both positions). I left the stock Gibson 300k linear taper volume pots, and the 500k audio taper tone pot in. These are replacing the stock Gibson 500T & 496R ceramic magnet "way too high output, no clarity/muddy as hell, and useless for anything other than heavy metal-buckers". Sorry for the lil' rant, I just don't understand the appeal of those pups. Ultimately, I wanted a vintage PAF vibe.

Vintage output, these are very close to Gibson Burstbuckers in regards to output and tone (I happen to like that by the way). The bridge is smooth, not a ton of bass and a little more on treble side and not too middy. I've used these several times over the years and mostly with good results. The neck is fairly smooth although a bit on the warm side. Not a ton of clarity, but not super muddy either. I'll call it a neutral sound, not the best or worst. These seem to work best for blues, classic rock/blues rock, or country (which is what I do), but not the best for heavy duty rock/metal.

I've used them on more than one occasion over my around 18 years of playing. I'd most likely use them again. They are a decent PAF style pickup. Not the most exciting tonewise, but thay are very useable and much more affordable than the boutique makers. I like them, I guess there is nothing that I "hate" about them, they are very good (not great). I'm satisfied with them as they get the job done for me. I'm not the big tone seeker, I just wanted a PAF style pickup and these are, as always a safe bet.

Humbucker pickup for bridge position. I bought it with four conductor cable which is an extra $10

I put this into my epi les paul custom in the bridge with a jazz in the neck replacing the stock pick ups. The stock pickups were very muddy and lost a lot of treble when the volume was turned down.

The out put is moderate. I have played it through a legacy blues twin, a marshall quad and a fender super chorus it sounds great through all of these. The pick up has a full bright tone that is well balanced. I use this pickup basically for rock, metal, and blues and suits all of these styles. This would be good for the neck position as well

Definitely would buy this pick if it was stolen or destroyed. I have been playing for about ten years and electric for about six. I have a legacy blues twin amp. this is a great pick up and i will probably never need to change it again. It leaves nothing to be desired in the humbucker department a coil split would be cool tho.

humbucker, passive, I think its med. output.

I put one in a Jackson KVX10/neck. I replaced a duncan designed/jazz. I also replaced a duncan designed/distortion with a real distortion. The designed pickups sounded crummy, a guitar tech. told me the real deals were a lot better so I went for it. A lot of pros use the distortion, I don't know about the '59.

The difference between the real duncans and the designed is massive. So far I've only played through a roland microcube and a marshall micro amp, but even through these amps the sound is remarkable. The low's are boomy and the highs are crisp and clear, even when I'm using high gain distortion. I play a lot of chords using distortion and I can hear things I never heard with the designed pickups. I'll soon be able to play on my 2x12 combo, and I can't wait. It's gonna be vicious!

I guess that's too much distortion talk for '59's. I actually play a lot of melodies, too. I wanted something moody. The Jazz was too bright. You can listen to all of the duncan pickups on their website. It's very helpful. It's hard to explain the sound of the '59's. Their not really bright or crisp, but they have a cool sound. It's almost (if this makes sense) like reverb, without the echo. Whatever. Their perfect for me, very moody and I can make some dark melodies with it.

If I lost this pickup I'd definetly buy another. I've been playing for about 13 years. I play metal (death and black). This pickup is perfect for me, it's exactly what I wanted.

Humbucker, 8.3k ohms (Spec?) passive. Open coils. Bought a pair. The neck says SH-1N and the srews are arched to match strings. Bridge model is flat.

1965 Gibson firebird. The 2 wire braided configuration is perfectly suited for this guitar. Other pickups of various types did not get it as far as output or clarity, 4 wire setups were unbalanced. The p90s that were on it were beginning to dull.

Wow. Full, rich sounding. Roll off volume to 9 to clean up, 10 for some perfect tube overdrive. Pickups perfectly matched on gibson dual volume setup which I love. Set the toggle to the middle position and adjust tone by "panning" to bridge or neck pu as desired. Pretty, sweet and perfect.

The SH-1B and SH-1N are a great set for a Gibson or any dual HB guitar. Absolutely none better as far as I can tell. 30+ years and still gigging. Teles, Strats. Les Pauls and the '65 Firebird which has the Maestro tremelo. You can't make it go out of tune. Peavey Memphis Blues tube amp with a johnson J-station modeler for boost and effects.

Humbucker passive, a copy of famous '59 PAF, you guys already know. Impedance.....once I measured with my friend long ago, but do not remember. Please refer to SD site.

I installed them on my specially ordered Tokai Les Paul law-suit copy LS-200, 1979 (about 1,600US at the time). At that time, both Gibson and Fender did not make good guitars, but all old guitars were either not in good condition or were too expensive, thus I decided to go for Japanese. They were installed on both bridge and neck positions. Many artists use the pickups, but do not know exactly. One of them is Robben Ford. the guitar came with the pickup from their factory. I installed all the best stuff including Switchcraft parts, etc. In late 70s and 80s some Japanese guitar makers made great guitars. Some examples were Greco, Yamaha and Tokai, etc. Some people critisized their products without knowing grade og their guitars. I am talking about the top of the line Japanese guitars. It is not fair to them who made one of the best guitars. I have had Greco (Japanese Ibanez although it is not correct term....They used to share the same factory....) EG-1200 1979, Les Paul copy. Without changing pickups and electrics which considered to be weakness of these Japanese guitars, it was better than any recent Les Paul I have played including Custom shop reissue. The reason I had the pickup on my guitar was that I admire the sound of PAF thanks to Seth Lover!

It is moderate output. The reason why I submit this review is that many guys who wrote review did not have enough knowldge about pickups. Some complained about output level of this pickup. Even Seymour Duncan himself says in his site this is moderate output pickup! Others critised muddiness of this pickup. I installed this pickup on Les Paul 80, and ES-335 Dot 1981. They sound like crap. It was not wood or guitar itself, but electrics. Some do not seem to understand how to pick up the best pick up for each position based on output difference. Without working with these issues on your guitar, please do not evauate the product. I use Mesa Boogie MarkIIa. PAF has different sound depending on the product. Regardless, it sounds like vintage PAF I know of. I do not understand some user place this pickup without knowledge about how PAF sounds like. I do not mean to sound like snob though......

My long time wish was granted at the time. Without paying crazy money for old guitars, you could become Page or Clapton in late 70s. The users who pick up Fralin, WCR, etc. seem to know about guitars very well. Due to great price, unfortunately it is not the case for all of Duncan users. While no one made great vinatge pickup copy, Duncan was the pioneer to create real vintage sound at the time. Everybody either bought old guitars with crazy price or went to Dimarzio at the time in late 70s. I thank you for SD for his effort. And I will keep your pickup on my guitars. One thing I would like to try is Seth Lover SH-55. I know I won't be dissapointed.....

Passive. Neck 7.43k; bridge 8.13k.

I used this in an LP in the neck. I wanted something I thought would be closer to an original PAF.

The original pickups in the guitar were cheap. So I put in a '59 in the neck. I had recorded some clean tones with the original pickup, then I recorded a clip with the '59, trying to copy the same set up to record.
The '59 was a lot muddier. I found it not as dynamic and less responsive than the cheap pickup. So I took it out.

I don't know why people like this pickup. It's too dark and muddy. There are much better pickups out there.

Passive humbucker.

Put it into my Agile AL-2800 LP style guitar in the neck position because I didnt like the stock pickup.

Sounds a lot better than the stock pickup, but this pickup really is meant to be a neck pickup. The jazz is usually put in the neck. Its nice and smooth, but as far as neck pickups go it just wasnt hot enough for me. It could be better, although it sounds decent.

If it were lost i'd go with something else. I think SD's are a little overated...or maybe I just havent tried the right one.

Passive SH-1 '59 thats all I know

Epi LP in both positions. Changing PU cause the OEM bridge went bad

Why I went this way in pickup choice? The OEMs in my Epi LP were not bad, not great but sounded good to me. fit my style which is Blues and some Rock. I also play Jazz and they barly do the job for that.

The SD SH1 sound GREAT for Blues , classic Rock, Jazz. VERY clear, articulate. As clear as a good vintage Tele or Strat single coil.
Goes into distortion well with a good tube amp. I also have a Gibby Vintage LP with BurstBucker Pros. While the SH1 is not as strong, they nail the vintage sound as well as the BB Pros though not as versitile for modern music. (The BB Pros can do almost any kind of music really well IMO)

Been playing for 6 years. A student for Jazz & Blues.

The SH1 is desined for an era which the PAF covered musically which BTW is a large pallette of sound, Country, Blues, Jazz, Rock. If you are not into metal and into what this PU is designed for, I highly reccomend the SH1.

Passive HB

Epi standard plus LP. Bridge position. Replacing stock pup. Seymour Duncan Jazz in the neck. Changed to get something less muddy, more bite and better oveall tone.

Listed on website as moderate output, I'll go with that. Slightly hotter than the Burstbucker 2's in my Gison SG. Using this with an array of Pete Cornish distortion pedals through a 1982 made in England 50 watt Marshall 800 series 1x12 and/or a 2001 made in England Vox AC15 with the blue alnico speaker. Both amps have been fitted with early 1960's NOS Mullard tubes (worth every penny). Also playing straight into a Mesa 50watt rectoverb 1x12. The tone is everything I'd hoped for. Crisp, snappy highs with big ballsy bottom, tight not flabby. Mega sustain. Can easily go from gorgeous chimey cleans to ass-ripping high gain depending on amp/pedals. I used to love my Burstbuckers in my SG but now they sound thin by comparison and they'll probably be replaced with the SD '59/Jazz combination soon. I bought the Epi fully intending to replace the pickups in order to save big $$$$ from the somewhat overpriced new Gibsons. Also, no squealy feedback like I get from the Burstbuckers (the guys at Gibson warned me about installing the Burstbuckers aftermarket and I can see why). I can't say if the SD'59 is comparable to an original 59PAF but man, it's one helluva good sounding humbucker. I haven't tried it in the neck but alot of reviewers seem to think that's a pretty cool deal, too. I've got Seymour's SSL1's in my Strat, an STL1 54 lead in my Tele and now the SH1'59 and SH2 Jazz pups in my Epi LP and love all. I've also owned a couple of sets of Seymour Duncans that I've hated. You just have to find the right pickup for your taste, which is why I really like they're exchange policy. I originally tried the Seymour sh5 custom in the bridge but found it to have too high of an output for my distortion pedals. No problem, you get 21 days to try something else. Good deal. Duncan guys were very pleasant and helpful as well. They've got the service thing figured out.

Great pickup, especially for under $70. I highly recommend the Epi LesPaul/SD 59pup combo for anyone wanting the Les Paul look and tone that can't afford the Gibsons. No disrespect to the quality of the new Gibson LP's, they're really nice, but some of their prices are just sick and the Burstbucker is an OK pickup but, IMO, not worthy of a $3000-$7000+ guitar which is what Gibson's asking for many of there new LP models.

Pickup features: humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: PRS SE Tremonti
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock humbucker
Other pickups on guitar: DiMarzio Steve's Special in bridge position
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): dunerrock / stonerrock
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickups lack character and life

Perceived output level: I put a bridge model in the neck position so it is hotter than it should be but this way it work fine with the Steve's Special which sits in the bridge position. Standard series wiring since Seymour Duncan told me the SH-1 output would be too low for this configuration when put into parallel mode.
Tone: low but sweet like honey, nice and round full bodied tone, not muddy or hazy at all, just what I was looking for.
Sonic evaluation: Using a PRS SE Tremonti which is cheap. I do not believe in putting down more than ?500 for any guitar - it is very possible to pay a normal amount of money for a good guitar which you equip with the hardware you like best. You probably have to do this with the expensive (over ?2000) guitars anyway. Using it with a LabSeries L4 bass head and the Orange 4 x 12" cabinet. Still try to figure out the pedals. Experimenting with a Boss SD-2 (dual overdrive) and a Korg AX-30B.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Good pickup for what I do but can do many styles and sounds. Suitable for every position.

Comments: I had a LAG Roxane before which had two Seymour Duncans as stock. Which types I do not know. That guitar has a very nice sound to it but the neck is too thin for me. So I figured a fatter neck with the same pickup would be as good and right I was.
I do not know what will happen to the Steve's Special when time goes by. The Seymour Duncan is definatly my favourite one. But since I rarely play with only the bridge pickup and this configuration is not the most typical one I guess I will leave it where it is.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 1 conductor braided shield

Model of guitar or bass: '97 Washburn P-II QS model
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Washburn 621
Other pickups on guitar: Seymour Duncan SH-5 (Duncan Custom)
Artists using this pickup: Quite a few; I believe Dimebag Darrel used it in the neck position
You musical style(s): Hard Rock, early Metal, Instrumental Prog Rock
Reason for pickup change: The stock pickups on the Washburn were nasty, even though they were "duncan designed" supposedly. I wanted an updated "vintage" tone for the neck position

Perceived output level: slightly more than a normal PAF
Tone: middy with pretty smooth highs
Sonic evaluation: Line 6 PODxt modeling technology with amp packs installed going straight through a Mackie 1202-VLZ Pro into a Layla3G for recording on my DAW.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Currently into Progressive Instrumental Rock/old school metal; I am using the neck model

Comments: It this pickup was destroyed, I'd probably go with the SH-2 "Jazz" model due to the more high end response with that pickup. However I'm pretty satisfied with the '59 model. I've been playing for over 20 years and I used to use strictly DiMarzio Super Distortions paired with a HS-3 in the neck position of a modified strat. I found the Washburn P-2 a few years ago for dirt cheap and bought it for a more "rock" guitar with a traditional bridge (I am used to Floyd Rose floating bridge setups). I had to replace the toggle switch as well as the stock pickups.
It's a very clear, midrangey sound which really sings when you run it through a distortion pedal (like the Tube Screamer). The pick definition is very high, so if you are into fast lines this pickup really does a good job in making it all sound very clear and defined. I also like the fact you can easily change the pole height, and I had to lower the poles on the low E and A string in order to get a more defined sound on those strings. An extremely WARM sound, to my ears.
I'm pretty satisfied with this pickup choice, as I wanted a vintage warm sound with a little more "oomph" to it. Playing it clean is a joy as it every chord is very defined.

Pickup features: Neck humbucking....
Impedence or other specs: DC resistance: 7,5 kohms, inductance: 4,27 henry...

Model of guitar or bass: Les Paul
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: stock pup, with ceramic magnet.
Other pickups on guitar: SHPG1 and now, APH1 instead of the SH1...
Artists using this pickup: Too much people.
You musical style(s): All I can eat.
Reason for pickup change: first change: stock pups = crap;
second change (APH1 instead of the SH1): the mix was not good between our alnico 5 SH1 and the alnico 2 SHPG1;

Perceived output level: Moderate but high for such a DC resistance. The magnet is rather strong.
Tone: Bright and dynamic.
Sonic evaluation: It's an update of my previous review (done a year ago): the SH1 is a good pup but its frequency resonance and power are higher than with other PAF replicas. I've read here a review saying that this pup wasn't in fact a PAF clone. My answer: YES, it is. But Seymour seems to have duplicated the "ideal" PAF defined by Seth Lover (7,5 Kohms and alnico 5 magnets) instead of the real PAF pups made by Gibson in the years 1957-1961 and often defined by their "flaws" (overwound coils giving an higher inductance, alnico 2 because alnico 5 was out of stock, etc.). The result is a "clear" PAF variation, with a sharp attack and resonant frequency. To obtain a "sweet" pafish sound, choose an alnico 2 magnet and a higher DC resistance/inductance - in other words, a Duncan like the Seth Lover, the AlnicoPro, or the mythic Antiquities (i forget the Pearly Gates, that I use and love but which also has a bright tone).
If you buy the SH1, you have to know that the expected good round sound comes after a sharp attack which can become a little harsh. Good mix with ceramic magnets or alnico 5. Not so good with an alnico 2... Good sustain and woman tone reachable during the sustain. Not so satisfying when you attack the strings IF you want a classic hot and sweet lespaulish tone (and in this case only).

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Good match for all styles, gears etc. if you know its features and know how to use it...

Comments: See above: good pup, all purpose device, if you want a sharp attack and a clean tone. Reproduces the clearer PAF models, with a low inductance and DC resistance. The sweet/buttery/spongy/honky tone is not its territory. That the reason why I've changed the SH1 for an APH1 bridge (yes, in the neck position). Strangely, this one is lower in output, with its 8,29 kohms and 4,67 Henry, than the SH1 with only 7,5 kohms and 4,27 Henry... my neck tone is now much more sweet (principally because I've bought a bridge model for the neck pos.). I plan to mount the neck SH1 on another axe, maybe a semi-hollow body...

Pickup features: humbucker
Impedence or other specs: ?

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone SG
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: Seymour Duncan Invader
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Classic Rock, Blues
Reason for pickup change: I decided it was time for an upgrade and Seymours are one of the best. I'm saving for an Ameican Deluxe Strat that has amazing pickups, but until then (could be a while, 1000 bucks is not a small amount of money) I must have some killer humbuckers.

Perceived output level: ?
Tone: Trebly/balanced, but fair mid and bass
Sonic evaluation: I'm using it on my sg with a fender stage 160 and it sounds great and i'd be even better on a tube amp. Sounds best on a clean channel strumming chords or melodic riffs. Sounds good with distortion also. For most rock an blues i put the switch in the middle position using the '59 and the invader.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: It works great for rock and blues. It would probably be good in the bridge too.

Comments: If it were destroyed i would definately get another. It's an intigral part of my setup now. I've be playing for about 7 years now, seriosly for about 3 or 4. I don't have a lot of other gear, some effects, but i'm saving for a strat and maybe a tube amp.

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 2 conductor; no push-pull

Model of guitar or bass: Squier Custom Telecaster (I)
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: crappy Fender Indonesia Humbucker.
Other pickups on guitar: I replaced the duplicate Fender bridge pickup with a Distortion humbucker (SH-5, I think)
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock Music
Reason for pickup change: I bought the Squier Custom because I wanted a cheap guitar that had been routed and cut for humbuckers with a nice tele maple neck. I planned on the pickups being bad. They were. So I swapped them.

Perceived output level: Actually, compared to the "REALLY HIGH OUTPUT" SH-5 in the bridge, the SH-1 puts out just nearly the same output.
Tone: A great balance. Not muddy at all, I find. Sounds nice and round in the upper range without too much bite. Slightly mellow, but not so much as I anticipated.
Sonic evaluation: I've used the pickup through both a small Ampeg Jet II tube and my Ampeg V-4 head into Marshall 4x12 Slash Snakepit cab (give me a break; I hate Slash but this cab is awesome). In the Jet it sounded full and was LOUD. Matched the output of the SH-5 nicely. Together they sounded pretty sweet, with the SH-5 getting a little bit more crunch. I used to have a Standard Gibson LP, sounds like this bit with the bass pushed a bit. I like it better, actually.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I'm in an indie band playing stuff that tries to do too much, all over the map. Haven't used it too much in this context, but my sound role is kind of to fill the lowed midrange, a more mellow timbre, while the other guitarist has a nasty trebly sound (why does he scoop the mids? ar). Promises to work great.

Comments: Yep. It's pretty cheap (1/2 the price of SD Seth Lover's, which the SH-1 claims to mimick). I've briefly played Fender MIM Customs. This is the sound I wanted. I got it for half the price. Do it. Especially if you're starting with such bad pickups.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Steinberger Spirit GP-2R
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: EMG Select
Other pickups on guitar: Seymour Duncan Distortion
Artists using this pickup: Dunno with Steiny + '59 combo
You musical style(s): Pop, Rock, Metal
Reason for pickup change: EMG Selects are just... a hunk of junk! Lifeless and sterile, but no hum.

Perceived output level: Hotter than I thought for a '59 PAF copy
Tone: Middy + Trebly yet warm even though my guitar has maple body and neck.
Sonic evaluation: I put this on a Steinberger Spirit GP-2R which has maple body with maple neck (read : BRIGHT guitar). I still have to turn down the treble a bit and turn up the bass in a lot of my patches on my ToneLab SE, but after that it is the best neck pickup I've ever heard for clean and overdriven leads. When strumming, only the clean is usable.
Also, I noticed that this pickup has a very smooth, buttery tone compared to other pickups I have (and had).

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup can do Pop and Rock well, definitely not a Metal pickup. I can get decent Blues tone out of it too.

Comments: # If it were destroyed or stolen, would you buy it again or get something else?
Probably get something else, there's a lot of different pickups out there.
# What do you love about it? What do you hate?
I love that liquidy, buttery, whatever tone it has.
# Anything you wish it had?
Wish it has a better overdriven rhythm tone.
# Are you satisfied with this pickup or still searching for that sound?
Pretty satisfied.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: ??

Model of guitar or bass: Schector Omen 6 (with tailpiece - not string through)
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: stock (duncan designed)
Other pickups on guitar: stock humbucker in bridge
Artists using this pickup: ????
You musical style(s): Hard Rock, Gurnge, Blues
Reason for pickup change: Wanted a more smooth vintage Les Paul sound like Slash

Perceived output level: A bit more than the stock, but not hot.... Medium? Good response.
Tone: Well balanced. A bit warm. maybe a bit bassy in my guitar, but that's the wood
Sonic evaluation: Plugged into a Crate FXT120 combo. Pedals: Boss Drive Zone Distortion Pedal and Vox Wah Pedal. It's got a nice well balanced tone. I use the lead channel on the amp for most leads because I get a smooth warm sound. This pup has a lot of sustain! Awesome.
I lost all the tone in my middle position when I had this put in.... I'm guessing it's that it doesn't match well with the stock in the bridge.. I don't know what it is, but the mid position blows now, it's what I used to use for clean. However, now I can use this pickup for my clean playing. It's not harsh at all. Very nice tone.
As mentioned before, this thing has a lot of sustain. Maybe I'm not used to getting any from the stock pickups.... In any case I really like the sustain.
The distorted tone, aside from sustain, wasn't such a big improvement. But it's noticeable. Not harsh when hitting the high notes, and not muddy at all when hitting the lows.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mostly everything. It's very versatile. Good for about everything IMO. Something agressive would be better for someone strictly metal.

Comments: I have been playing for over 5 years. I also own a Fender HM Strat that I picked up used, a Squier strat with a Duncan Performer Scorcher in the bridge, a Prelude classical accoustic, and an Epiphone jumbo body accoustic-electric.
This pickup is great. It's not EXACTLY what I wanted, but that's cause I don't have a Les Paul or a Marshall with tubes...
I really like the improvement. To someone else, maybe the pickup wasn't worth the money, but for me, every bit of tone I got is worth every penny. I'd get this pickup again probably... Especailly since the Duncan Jazz was too bright for my taste and Gibson pickups are too pricey.

Pickup features: Trembucker.
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez S1520 Sabre
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Duncan JB
Other pickups on guitar: Ibanez QM1
Artists using this pickup: Scott Henderson
You musical style(s): Jazz-Rock Fusion
Reason for pickup change: This guitar came with a JB, which frankly, I have never liked. Way too shrill and harsh for me.

Perceived output level: Slightly hot PAF style
Tone: Emphasis on the high mids. See overall rating for description.
Sonic evaluation: MAudio Duo Preamp > TC Electronic TripleC compressor > Yamaha DG80112 with TC Electronic G Major in the effects loop. I am very satisfied with this rig!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is a versitile pickup, and it is suitable for most styles where low to medium output is desired

Comments: The tone I am after is a smooth, singing (almost horn-like) overdrive. With good clarity, but without too many shrill harmonic overtones. I was going for a tone similar to Scott Henderson's early '90s sound, when he was using the Ibanez Sabre. I also like a more aggressive rock tone sometimes, but it needs to be able to clean up when I want it to. This is a good pickup, but it missed the mark for me. I like an emphasis on the mids, but the emphasis is on the higher mids, a little too high pitched. I prefer a more vocal, almost "aaaah" tone. The '59 is an "Improved PAF" design - I don't believe it is a classic PAF design as SD would have you believe. It is more defined, and more harmonically active I would say. This is probably perfect for many people.
The thing that makes choosing pickups so hard, is that there may be something much better out there, but you'll never know it until you try it in your own rig. I believed I was the best bridge pickup, until I tried the Ibanez V2 pickup that came stock in my early '90s sabre. I will submit a review for the V2, but in short, it is miles ahead of the '59 in terms of what I was looking for - More of a mid voiced pickup, and vert defined and musical. The '59 sounds shrill and sloppy in comparison.

Pickup features: NECK HUMBUCKER
Impedence or other specs: 7.2 K

Model of guitar or bass: TRADITION LES PAUL
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: FACTORY
Other pickups on guitar: DUNCAN CUSTOM
Artists using this pickup: A LOT
You musical style(s): ROCK BLUES
Reason for pickup change: FACTORY PICKUP WAS BASICALLY TOO HOT FOR ME

Perceived output level: PLENTY, BUT NOT TOO MUCH. MORE THAN AN ALNICO II OR JAZZ
Tone: WARM AND BRIGHT VINTAGE STYLE TONE THAT DOESN'T WEAR ON YOU AT ALL. IT IS GREAT CLEAN OR DIRTY. I CALL IT SWEET WITH LOADS OF SUSTAIN. THE HIGHS ARE THERE BUT DONT GRATE ON YOU AT ALL. IT SOUNDS BETTER TO ME THAN WHAT COMES IN ANY LES PAUL FROM THE FACTORY INCLUDING GIBSON.
Sonic evaluation: I HAVE PLAYED IT INTO A MARSHALL JTM312 AND 70 FENDER PRINCETON, ALSO A MARSHALL DSL50 HEAD WITH 1936 CAB. IT JUST PLAIN OLD KICKS BUTT IN A VINTAGE WAY. THE DISTORTION WITH THE MARSHALL IS VERY ROCKIN. THE SOUND IS VERSATILE AND I SUSPECT THIS PICKUP WILL WORK FOR MOST PAUL PLAYERS IN THE NECK

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: PERFECT FOR ROCK, BLUES AND JAZZ. MIGHT BE TOO VINTAGE FOR METAL

Comments: I ALSO PLAYED AN ALNICO II IN A FRIENDS PAUL, BUT I PREFER THE GREATER OUTPUT AND PUNCH OF THIS PICKUP. THANKS SEYMOUR FOR MAKING WHAT MAY BE THE BEST VALUE GOING IN A LES PAUL PICKUP

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Standard PAF in the 8s

Model of guitar or bass: PRS CU 24 & Les Paul '73
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: T TOP & PRS Vintage Bass, Gibson 57 Classic
Other pickups on guitar: Air Nortons, T TOPs, Tone Zone, Air Zone, you name it
Artists using this pickup: Millions
You musical style(s): Rock, Blues, Jazz, 70s, you name it
Reason for pickup change: No sparkle, dead, lifeless

Perceived output level: Strong and well balanced, little more than very vintage-y PAFs
Tone: Warm, balanced,. woody
Sonic evaluation: I use a Seymour Duncan Convertible with Altecs and Celestion 80s, Relic Fenders with Jensens, you name it. THIS IS MEANT TO BE A WEIRD REVIEW.
Here is the deal, this pickup has no dynamics, it is totally flat, has some decent harmonics. However, it is very woody. This is labeled a building block pickup and IT IS. If you want something straight forward and basic, something vintage that works very well with modern music, something that matches any type of pickup from metal to hard rock, this is a good choice. NO GUESSWORK!
It is basic and to the point. The EQ description is as on the site. It is very warm, but not too warm, decent mids. You can use it for anything. In my PRS it sounded dead. In my Les Paul it is very Dickey Betts - this is a good thing. It is warm, you can even play jazz on it, but it would NOT be my first choice for that. You can play blues on it all day, but it doesnt have that dynamic spank and growl.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Any and all

Comments: You can't go wrong with this pickup. However, you can't necessarily go right. It is basic and to the point. It is quality with the harmonics. I have tried recording with it, and it is kinda disappointing. I have heard it in bridges and it sounds better to me than the neck. It doesnt cut thru the mix all that great. ON THE OTHER HAND - thru any amp - Matchless to Marhsall it gives you a woody sound that works with anything.
I give it an 8 since it is a B level pickup. I think the 57 classic is warmer and sweeter all around. It has better articulation, harmonics, definition etc etc. BUT IT IS ALNICO 2 SO IT CAN BE HARD TO MATCH THE BRIDGE, AND GIBSON DOESNT MAKE 4 CONDUCTOR. MY LES PAUL HAS THE JIMMY PAGE MODS. If I had no huge preconceived notions, just wanted good sound, not after the holy grail - then this is it, an easy no brainer. If you want something articulate - that is both modern and vintage at the same time, great for all kinds of sounds, may I recommend the DiMarzio Virtual PAF. I have tried Voodoos and the SD Jazz (decent), some other brands, not the Fralins yet. But for the price the 59 sets you off very well.
Hope you are now thoroughly confused. Hear me at www.olinmusic.com

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: In the 7K range or something

Model of guitar or bass: Schecter C1+
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Dubcan Designed HB-103N
Other pickups on guitar: SH-6 Duncan Distortion
Artists using this pickup: Losta people
You musical style(s): rock, hard rock, metal, post-punk, retro punk, cybergrungetechopop
Reason for pickup change: Stock neck pickup sucked horrendously.

Perceived output level: Vintage output, but loud enough to work with my SH-6 just fine
Tone: Beautifully SWEET!
Sonic evaluation: I use this in my Schecter C1+ with an SH-6 Duncan Distortion. The stock neck pickup was so bad that it sounded like two different people playing in unison on different instruments. It really messed with your mind after a while! This pickup was great! The Alnico V magnet brought a lot more life to the neck position, and allowed for that "sweet" neck tone to really come through. It transitions fine to the SH-6 in the bridge with no perceived loss of volume, and the combo makes the guitar really versitile. I play it through an ALL TUBE crate VFX-5112 combo.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play rock, hard rock, metal, post-punk. It's great for more Vintage sounds like LED ZEP or slower, thoughful moments in harder songs

Comments: I would definately buy this pickup again! Though I'd probably get the four-conductor version to have more options and put a five-way selector switch in. These are overpriced with the metal cover, and the cover is starting to tarnish. Still, I don't like the look of open coil pickups anymore.

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: ESP LTD Viper 301 (SG)
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: EMG HZ
Other pickups on guitar: EMG HZ
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): blues, rock, jazzy rock
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickups (EMG HZ's) are lifeless and too hot sounding.

Perceived output level:
Tone: Very Balanced
Sonic evaluation: Using through a Kustom 200DFX with a Kustom 4x12a cab. The sound is quite balanced. The sound through distortion is classic, and the sound sparkles. However, it may lack some individuality that some other pickups offer. This pickup and the tone nob love eachother.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: This is a great pickup, I would buy another one in a heartbeat for my neck. However, I couldnt imagine having it in both positions. The sound is great, flexible, and balanced, but lacks some individuality that other pickups offer. The best clean sounding pickup ive heard, if you like some jazzy clean sounds this pickup nails it on the head. It shines and sparkles in the neck. But I would never put one in the bridge, but personally I dont like have very simliar or the same model pickups in both positions.
For a neck pickup this is as good as they come, and you can do just about anything with it. A Burstbucker 2 is going in the bridge, and my ESP, which is built for metal, will be one of the best guitars out there. If your sick of hot lifeless pickups, this will make your guitar sound like your guitar. I have not heard this through other guitars, but I assume it sounds much better through a Les Paul style guitar. It has brought my sg to life in the neck, crystal clear tones and great low distortion sounds. I highly recommend it, and if your stuck on 9 gauge or lower strings I recommend 11's to anybody to really bring your guitar and its pickups to shine at its fullest.

Pickup features: Humbucking PAF style
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Esquire custom GT
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Seymour Duncan Invader
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: Rivers Cuomo, and too many others
You musical style(s): Indie-pop
Reason for pickup change: Invader was too high output and too muddy.

Perceived output level: low output for a humbeucker, still allot hotter than the average single coil,
Tone: very trebly, precise and clear, not at all muddy. a little scooped in the mids.
Sonic evaluation: THe guitar is a set neck mahogany carved top fender telecaster. one volume. THis pickup in the bridge is really bright. Not in a bad way. It's clear and defined with a decent level of output for my purposes. exactly the sound I was looking for. If I were in control i'd like a little more mids and a little less highs but that's what eqs are for.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Works for me. Suitable for most styles as long as you pair it with the right ampo and effects. very very versatile.

Comments: I plan on using this pickup in future guitars. I really like this pickup.

Pickup features: humbucking/passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: 2000 LP DC Std/Washburn NX3
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: LP - 496R/NX3 - crap washburn
Other pickups on guitar: LP DC - Dimebucker/NX3 - Evo
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): alt rock/metal/classic rock
Reason for pickup change: LP DC - Stock was pure MUD/Washburn stocks are garbage... noisy with no output

Perceived output level: LP DC - about stock/NX3 - much louder
Tone: Pretty smooth, but with a good solid rock edge
Sonic evaluation: I run into a couple of different Line6 amps and an old vintage Fender tube. LP - it sounds great clean compared with the 496, but, minus the pure mud, the tone on the 496 dirty was sweeter. I can't live with mud though... NX3 - the 59 is amazing, nice and tight, yet sweet. Interestingly enough the solidbody NX3 (cheaper version of the Nuno model) sounds much sweeter with the 59 than the LP. Not that the LP sounds bad by any means with the 59, but the dynamics of the body/wood will have a large impact on your sound with this pup. The LP double cutaway standard has hollowed out chambers and with this pup it just doesn't sound nearly as tight or punchy as I'd want it. May try a Jazz or an Alnico 2 Pro.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: With a solid body it is pretty tight and rockin, in a semi-hollow body it is pretty open, but can still rock. I made both guitars work for me, but it gets down to what your preference is at this point.

Comments: Overall it's a solid performer. Like I said, IMHO, it sounds better in a solid body, but gets the job done in a semi-hollow body too. It's pretty smooth, but not as sweet/bright as I'd like it. Great for rock, but if you're into something more toned down then rock, you might want to look around some more.

Pickup features: Humbucking (neck model), 4 conductors in this case (the standard model has only 2 conductors).
Impedence or other specs: 7,5 k. This one is an "unbucker" because one bobbin is slightly stronger than the other (3.8k and 3.7k).

Model of guitar or bass: LP model.
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Schaller Golden 50.
Other pickups on guitar: Now, Duncan Pearly Gates.
Artists using this pickup: The list is tooooooooooooooooooo long.
You musical style(s): All I can eat.
Reason for pickup change: The Schaller Golden 50 was a good pup but too clean and bright for me: I wanted a softer PAF sound.

Perceived output level: PAF, "middle of the road"... The "Les Paul neck sound" obtained with a Line 6 Variax is hotter ans has more bass, for example.
Tone: Well balanced. The attack is crisp but the tone stays warm and the sustain sinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngs.
Sonic evaluation: Ahhh, the "woman tone"... through some semi-cranked tubes (I'm playing on a Marshall combo or/and a multi-effects which emulates such sounds), this pup really seems to talk. Its sound is full, warm, but clear and clean... A pleasure, really. Be careful with its height setting. My choice (according to the advices gave by Gibson in the 50's): 1,6 mm from the strings when you press the last fret. Too close, the pup sounds harsh. Too far, its voice seems a little weak.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Good match for all styles if you know how to tweak your amp, effects and controls... For example, I'm using a "no load" pot as a general tone control, with a capacitor of 2n2 which reacts like a mid-boost . I've also a push-pull tone pot (parallel/serie: my SH1 is a "four conductors" model) and another control to get an "out of phase" sound. So, I can play what I want, through my Boss GT6...

Comments: I'm playing guitar for 24 years and the SH1 is my 12th Duncan pickup: they always sound good. If it were destroyed or stolen, maybe would I buy a "Seth Lover", just to try an alnico 2 neck model...

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Agile LP2500 (Les Paul copy)
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock bridge and stock neck
Other pickups on guitar: sh-1b and sh-1n
Artists using this pickup: Many many many...
You musical style(s): rock, blues, classic rock, blues/rock, etc.
Reason for pickup change: because i felt like it! damn, what's with all these questions?

Perceived output level: These are PAF style pups so there are not "hot" by any means. But that is what I wanted.
Tone: Neck is bassy but very well rounded, bridge is trebly but very well rounded. both are pretty clear.
Sonic evaluation: Agile LP2500 -> Vox V848 wah -> Kelley BD-2 -> Peavey Classic 30 (greenback, JJ tubes)
very pleased with the new sound. big improvement.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: these are great for blues rock classic rock

Comments: very good pickups. the bridge is just not what i wanted, so i grabbed an sh-4 for my bridge. the 59 bridge is just a wee bit hotter than the 59 neck. i wanted a bigger difference between my neck and bridge pickups. get yourself a 59 for the neck, but go elsewhere for the bridge probably.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez Blazer Custom (a 20 years old strat copy)
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: the originas that came with the guitar
Other pickups on guitar: JB humbucker brige
Artists using this pickup: probably a lot
You musical style(s): from jazz to loud rock...experimental music
Reason for pickup change: microphonic 20 years old pickups....

Perceived output level: yes....it's hot..but very musical...
Tone: it has a balanced tone....punchy...sweet love...
Sonic evaluation: i play with a Mesa Boogie combo...pure tubes sound deserve this pickup....IMO

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: for experimental music i love it....but when i go to blues and classic stuff he still proves quality.

Comments: i play since 13...now im 29...i own 3 other guitars and music walks with me every day i need trustfull gear by my side...and in one of my favorite guitars i tried this pickup...and i'm very happy with it....its a very responsive pickup...suits alder bodys quite good..and maple necks...but also should sound nice on maghony...i mean...it's good and versatil...i managed to split the coils...sweet straty sounds....cool

Pickup features: Passive Buckers
Impedence or other specs: Single Wire. No Covers.

Model of guitar or bass: PRS Santana SE (Old Style)
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stockers.
Other pickups on guitar: N/A
Artists using this pickup: Check Duncan website.
You musical style(s): Rock, Blues, EmoJangle
Reason for pickup change: Uninspiring stock pick-ups.

Perceived output level: Output level is moderate, or "vintage" according to the S.D. website.
Tone: Strong, even and balanced with surprising upper end definition.
Sonic evaluation: I popped a set of the 59's in one of the old style PRS Santana SE's (the one's without the pickguard and binding). Dramatic improvement over the original stock pups. I play into a Fender Hot Rod DeVille 4x10, Subway Mesa Blues 1x10 with a 2x12 cab and various processors.
I realized the Korean-made "Faux"-RS had plenty of potential, it just neededed better quality pick-ups. I contemplated many combinations of pick-ups for this guitar and ended-up just getting a set of the 59's based on local musician's recommendations. Wow. It's like someone pulled a blanket off my amp. I can't believe how anemic the stock pick-up's were! The 59's are a good match for the all-Mahogany body and neck. Pretty tight bass response and there's plenty of upper-mid complexity and sparkle. I was surprised. This guitar is used mainly with overdrive, but I think it's clean tone is now fully acceptable as well (an unanticipated bonus). I opted for the 59's without the covers, so the upper-end might be a little more enhanced than the models with covers, though I'm not totally sure about that.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Great match for rock and blues styles. Good for neck and bridge positions.

Comments: Been playing for 25 years or so and have a nice harem of guitars. Enjoy single coils, P-90's and humbuckers - they're all just differenct colors to paint with. The 59's have always been popular in the neck position, but I'm digging the bridge model as well. Together they make a formidable pair for rock or blues players looking to upgrade their humbucking guitars. Fair price as well.

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: unknown

Model of guitar or bass: Schecter Omen-6
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: original junky- sounding shit with no manufacturers name on it
Other pickups on guitar: Seymour Duncan- says M GM on the back- I don't know what M GM is
Artists using this pickup: don't know
You musical style(s): Varies from time to time- Mostly blues & classic rock type stuff
Reason for pickup change: Tried the guitar last week (8/25/03)in the store and thought it sounded great....got it home and hooked it up to my tube amp and the great sound wasn't there anymore! I really like the positioning of the controls and it plays well, so I figured I'd try hot-rodding it a bit

Perceived output level: The stock pup had a little bit higher output to my ears, but output and sound are two different things
Tone: the sound has character--- really nice and vintage sounding without the muddy bottom- it has a personality that changes with height adjustment
Sonic evaluation: I have a Blue Voodoo 60 watt combo amp (all tube)....I went to tubes to get a classic sound..... the axe wasn't delivering that ballsy rock sound- but it is now! I have effects, but only use them for specific applications....

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pup is a perfect match for what I play- Clapton, Hendrix, Page....Vintage Rock sound all day long

Comments: I own a couple of guitars- tried all kinds of different sounds....from country twang (Fender Tele) to earth-shattering, bone-breaking metal (Gibson flying V)- I tried to find a guitar that would give me a more versatile sound (Ernie Ball music man), and now I want more balls-- and now I got 'em! This pickup would probably be nothing less than awesome in a Les Paul. I'm still fartin' around with the height adjustment and It just keeps sounding better every time I screw with it- it really woke this Guitar up! Playing clean? sounds great..... punch the gain? still sounds great! I love it all day.... one other thing- I had this pup in another guitar (Les paul copy) also in the neck position... that sound had a bit more bottom end to it, but not like a mushy or muddy bottom....you can do a lot with this sound.

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: unknown

Model of guitar or bass: Schecter Omen-6
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: original junky- sounding thing with no manufacturers name on it
Other pickups on guitar: Seymour Duncan- says M GM on the back- I don't know what M GM is
Artists using this pickup: don't know
You musical style(s): Varies from time to time- Mostly blues & classic rock type stuff
Reason for pickup change: Tried the guitar in the store and thought it sounded great....got it home and hooked it up to my tube amp and the great sound wasn't there anymore!

Perceived output level: The stock pup had a little bit higher output to my ears, but output and sound are two different things
Tone: the sound has character--- really nice and vintage sounding without the muddy bottom- it has a personality that changes with height adjustment
Sonic evaluation: I have a Blue Voodoo 60 watt combo amp (all tube)....I went to tubes to get a classic sound..... the axe wasn't delivering that ballsy rock sound- but it is now! I have effects, but only use them for specific applications....

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pup is a perfect match for what I play- Clapton, Hendrix, Page....Vintage Rock sound all day

Comments: I own a couple of guitars- tried all kinds of different sounds....from country twang (Fender Tele) to earth-shattering, bone-breaking metal (Gibson flying V)- I tried to find a guitar that would give me a more versatile sound (Ernie Ball music man), and now I want more balls-- and now I got 'em! This pickup would probably be nothing less than awesome in a Les Paul. I'm still fartin' around with the height adjustment and It just keeps sounding better every time I screw with it- it really woke this Guitar up! Playing clean? sounds great..... punch the gain? still sounds great! I love it all day.... one thing though- I had this pup in another guitar (Les paul copy) also in the neck position... that sound had a bit more bottom end to it, but not like a mushy or muddy bottom....

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker - Made to be a faithful replica of a PAF
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Bridge on Washburn A5, Neck on Ibanez RG
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock Pickups
Other pickups on guitar: A5 has a SD Jazz Neck, RG has a SD Custom Bridge & JBJr Middle
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, Pop, Blues
Reason for pickup change: Stock Pickups didn't sound this good

Perceived output level: '59s are a replica of PAFs
Tone: Vintage
Sonic evaluation: Possibly the nicest sounding neck pickup I've ever heard. You've got to remember that these are made to duplicate original PAFs, and that's what they do.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: If your going for modern medal, better find something else. These give you vintage tone.

Comments:

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Can't remember the specs. Seems average for a bucker though

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Les Paul
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock 490's
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Dont really know or care
You musical style(s): Too many to list
Reason for pickup change: 490's sounded lifeless & boring in the Les Paul. I wanted to get closer to a vintage type of tone.

Perceived output level: About the same as the stockers. Maybe just a little less but not much at all.
Tone: Nice vintage sound. Very warm yet a smooth sparkle on top. Mids are not harsh in the least. These pups seem to be very balanced.
Sonic evaluation: I plug straight into a Fender Princeton or an Epi Galaxy 10 (a very cool little tube amp) & a few others. No distortion boxes for me (I rely on my tubes for my tone). That's right, I'm one of those damn purists.(hehe) These pups drive the front end of my amps pretty well.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is a good pup for just about anything except it may not be aggresive enough for metal. But with all these effects boxes nowadays you could probably even coax metal out of it.

Comments: If I had to choose a pup again I'd probably get these again but I would like to try the Seth Lover because I've heard they're even smoother & warmer than the '59. But overall I can't complain about these pups. To me, they do sound like a vintage Les Paul & I think they're worth the price. The 490's were chrome covered & these are open coil (black & creme) so they give the Les Paul a different kind of look. I'll most likely keep these for a while until I talk myself into getting a pair of Seth Lover but for now I think they're just great.

Pickup features: humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: dillion DR-450 PRS hollowbody copy
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar: stock
Artists using this pickup: many
You musical style(s): country 50's rock, gospel, mild smooth jazz
Reason for pickup change: pickups were extremely bright and edgy neck and treble with not much bottom.

Perceived output level: quite a bit louder
Tone: well a nice warm deep sound that still sparkles for the neck and lots of drive for the bridge.
Sonic evaluation: changed this guitar into what it was meant to be. it sounds wonderful

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: country 50's rock, gospel, mild smooth jazz. these pickups should cover just about any style except death metal but who needs that?

Comments: well I got these 59's with nickle covers from a guy on ebay. he just took them out and put in fralins. he sold three pickups at once. a new Al Demeola and the two 59 duncans from him new guild bluesbird. got them all for about 80 dollars. one of the best deals I ever got on ebay. over the last 24 years I have owned about every guitar except a PRS. I got a chance to buy this beautiful hollowbody copy for only 227.00 but was dissatisfied with its pickups. now I have a wonderful sounding guitar that I think will be my main guitar for a long time to come and all for about three hundred backs. what a bargin.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: ???

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez AX220QQMB
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Was a Burstbucker but switched back to it
Other pickups on guitar: Burstbuckers
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Alternative emo/power pop hard rock.
Reason for pickup change: Just thought that the Duncan 59 and Custom 5 would be better sounding than my Burstbuckers........bad idead!

Perceived output level: Medium Hot
Tone: Balanced throughout the spectrum
Sonic evaluation: I have a Marshall DSL 100, Engl Thunder 50, Laney VH100R and LH50R with Mesa Recto 4x12 V30 cabs.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play alternative rock with a touch of emo. It would be a solid match but unfortunately Duncans just aren't my cup of tea and after reading all the reviews I'm surprise not many has tried the Gibson Burstbuckers. The Bursbuckers sound better than the 59 or any Duncan that i've tried....Custom 5, JB, Seth Lover, Invader and etc.

Comments: I'm returning the 59 and Custom 5 back to guitar center so that answers your question if they were stolen or destroyed. I'm kinda disappointed from what I heard from the 59 ...not to say that they are bad but they are sterile sounding compared to the Burstbuckers! If i was going to go head to head between the two the plus of the 59 is that it has a tighter bass and overall tone, it's very well balanced you can hear all the notes ring out but when i cranked it with distortion along with the custom 5 while performing palm muting i get a screechy noise...can't descibe it except that it sounded synthetic compared to the Burstbuckers.....the BB had a smoother richer organic tone that sounds terrific it didn't have the darker mids of the 59, it actually had less mids and the sound is a bit brighter, but overall it's pure magic with a great vintage vibe. Sorry Seymour....not my type of pickup

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 7.43k

Model of guitar or bass: Les Paul Custom
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock Gibsons 490R & 498T
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Pull up a chair, this is going to take a while...
You musical style(s): A huge swath of noise best described as bluesy-alterna-pop-rock.
Reason for pickup change: Tired, flat, muddy Gibson pickups needed a time-out in the case while another pickup brings life to my guitar.

Perceived output level: Slightly higher output than stock, but those were covered and these are installed as open-coils. The Duncan site states that covers take 15-20% of your tone, so...
Tone: Richer and more full bodied on both clean and distorted. The sustain alone makes this an improvement over the Gibsons.
Sonic evaluation: This is going into my Vox Cambridge 30 Reverb and the tone is so much better now! I use a Dunlop wah and a Digitech RP-100 from time to time, but since I've only had these pickups in for a few days, I'm going to spend a lot of time getting used to them before I start adding any color.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I opted to put the SH-1 in both neck and bridge as it's my first upgrade and I wanted some balance. A lot of players on the Duncan forum talk about swapping in a JB or Custom Custom in the bridge for sharper leads, but for now, the 59's give me everything I want in all positions. I think you could tackle everything short of metal with this pickup, but you can coax anything out of processors these days...

Comments: If destroyed (and with the open coils, that could happen) or stolen I would probably get both again, but this isn't a fair statement, as there are tons of replacement pickups out there. I guess I could find each manufacturer's site and download sample files and compare who knows how many tones trying to find one I like. Seymour Duncans have a reputation as some of the best pickups available. If I had more money, maybe I would have gone for a more boutique brand so I could flaunt the exclusivity factor, but why bother? The price on these were good and I'm just a bedroom guitarist, so until I'm making a living off of this, I'm not going to waste the time and resources to investigate every single available pickup. I considered the Gibson '57s, but the price was too high and the general consensus from the forums (including here) is that they're okay, and sound about the same. I wanted a fat, rich, creamy PAF tone with excellent sustain and that's what I got. Everything else after that is brand loyalty. I just didn't connect with the brand identity of DiMarzio or any number of other manufacturers so the Duncans are what I opted for. If another maker said their pickups would offer me the same tone for $10 less and take twenty pounds off of my midsection, I would've opted for them.
All wisecracking aside, I am very, very happy with this pickup. If you're taking your first steps into pickup replacement, I think you'll be just as pleased. Will I look into other types, more than likely yes. Will I try other brands? Can't say for certain right now, but I will say Seymour Duncan makes excellent pickups.
I'll also say that I have hardly any electrical experience, and I was able to install these myself and saved the $50 I would have paid some tech to do it. Unless you're afraid of soldering irons, you can do this yourself!

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Neck 7.43k, Bridge 8.13k

Model of guitar or bass: Les Paul Standard
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock Gibsons
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Too many to list
You musical style(s): Blues/Rock
Reason for pickup change: Stock Gibson humbuckers were muddy and lacked the PAF tone that you get a Les Paul for.

Perceived output level: Fairly low output... but pretty close to what a '59 PAF would have been.
Tone: Good bass and mids, but really lacked high end punch with bridge position
Sonic evaluation: 92 Les Paul Standard through a Marshall JCM 900 Dual Reverb half stack. Not many effects, I like the sound of a guitar, not a circuit board.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is suitable for any blues, most rock, escept for maybe heavy metal or punk.

Comments: If these p'ups were stolen, I'd still buy one for neck position, but I've already gone ahead and put a Custom in the bridge, I just felt that the '59 lacked a good overdriven lead tone, in my opinion anyway. It's fine for blues or lighter rock, but not for the really nasty lead tone I look for in heaver rock.

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez RG450
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Powersound Neck Humbucker
Other pickups on guitar: DiMarzio Virtual Vintage Blues, PWR Snd bridge Humb.
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues, Death metal, Jazz
Reason for pickup change: Former pickup was too weak and lacked clarity, especially at high amp volumes. Bass notes were muddy and treble notes indistinct.

Perceived output level: Not 'hot' but louder than my former stock humbucker.
Tone: Balanced with slightly scooped mids.
Sonic evaluation: Ibanez RG450 into a Marshall V65R.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Jazz, blues. Delivers a balanced sound that can be shaped at the amp for almost all kinds of clean sounds. I shan't speculate how it'll sound in any other position.

Comments: If I lost it I wouldn't get it again because it's my first replacement and I'd like to hear other options. I certainly don't regret buying it though because its balanced sound makes it a very versatile pickup. At a neutral sound setting (with every knob set halfway) the tone is on the whole warm and slightly scooped. Chords sound full bodied and single notes are punchy. I'd say it's natural sound would be suitable for jazz. This pickup also responds well to an overdriven amp and provides a considerable amount of sustain.

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: something

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez GRX-20
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock Ibanez, then SH-5 Custom
Other pickups on guitar: Neck and Bridge both have '59s
Artists using this pickup: Spakko Munkle and many more
You musical style(s): blues, blues rock, classic rock, and everthing in between
Reason for pickup change: The stock powersound ones were cheap and ceramic. The Duncan Custom was expensive and ceramic. I don't like ceramic magnets. They have too much treble and sound brittle. But they have lots of output.

Perceived output level: Less hot than the Custom but I these things don't matter to me - I just turn the gain up.
Tone: Pretty balanced really. I add to the bass and take away from the treble on my EQ but not much. This could be because of the guitar.
Sonic evaluation: I use an el cheapo Ibanez GRX-20. I am left handed. This means that it costs more than it should. Soon I will replace it with a custom Warmoth LP double cut of mahogany. The Ibanez guitar has a maple neck with rosewood fretboard, and an alder body. It's basically a Strat with humbuckers. I blocked the tremolo so it has a bit more oomph.
The amp I use is a Marshall AVT 20. It seems quite good for my style of music if I put the clean channel on and the gain at about 3:00. The OD channel seems to take something away from the dynamics of the amp so I don't use it often. I like to be able to feel what I am playing come out properly and this is an important part of the guitar experience. This also means that I have an excellent feel for the pickups!
These are very good pickups for classic rock and blues stuff which they are supposed to be. I can get Led Zeppelin and similar sounds from the bridge and Rolling Stones from bridge and neck together and good blues sounds from the neck alone. If you split the coils (I have a switch for this) you can get a kind of interesting but weak sound from the neck that is good for blues. The bridge sound doesn't give a proper single coil sound when split, but it is useful for cleaning up the sound. The Marshall isn't truely channel switching so I like to use split coils for semi-clean parts and humbuckers for dirty. Keep in mind that this is relatively low gain so don't try it if you are a metal head. If you are, there are probably better pickups for metal anyway.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play blues and classic rock stuff (see above). It works for this. Hard rock is workable but try something else for metal.

Comments: This is really a versatile pickup, and I can use it for many styles. It is designed for blues and classic rock, but with my friend, the amp's EQ, I can do lots of styles. It can do metal but I would not recommend it for full time hi-gain madness. Jazz may work but I really have the wrong setup for it. For most everything else it works very well. There is nothing that immediately comes to mind that I really love or hate about it - I just blame my guitar for all the problems ha ha. These are top quality pickups and are kind of out of place with a guitar that buzzes on nearly every fret.
I did try a Seymour Duncan Custom, which I bought mostly because I thought it would sound similar but with higher output. I found it to be too trebly, but I kept it. It is more agressive pickup that could do harder rock than the '59, but I am not overly fond of high treble sounds. I bought the '59 after deciding that the Custom didn't really work. I'l put it on the Ibanez and put the '59's on my new Warmoth.
I maybe could rate these pickups a ten or a nine if I felt that I could hear the best sound that they could give. However, I am not the best guitarist ever, and my equipment is similar in quality. They are very good, though, and they definitely deserve no less than an 8.

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: uh..?..?

Model of guitar or bass: Dean Icon
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar: JB
Artists using this pickup: Everyone
You musical style(s): Hardcore/Emo + ClassicRock/Blues
Reason for pickup change: Stock PUs were getting progressively microphonic and sounded muddy and weak.

Perceived output level: Balanced and smooth output, not terribly hot. Same out put as the stock humbucker.
Tone: Very clear, transparent and3 dimensional, not muddy at all. Clean it almost has a singlecoil like snap and sparkle to it. Roll off the tone and it fattens up handsomely. Distorted It sounds like Santana/Cream era Clapton. Boost the mids, pour on reverb and itll wail for days - nice sustain.
Sonic evaluation: My guitar is a Dean Icon Custom - made in Yugoslavia or someplace and I play it through a Crate VC3112 all tube amp. The guitar has the 59 and a JB in the bridge and the Amp has a Celestion V30. The net result is a tone to die for. Powerfull, full, clear, transparent - I could go on. The 59 is a crucial component in the chain - it delivers the perfect neck pickup sound - both clean and distorted and its very versatile - from comping jazz and blues, clean to Led Zep and Black Sabbath distorted. It even does country - I dont go there though - maybe a little Allman Bros and Lynerd Skynerd hehe.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This thing everything its supposed to do - it gets heavey but not in a metal kind of a way. I do play a lot of heavey stuff and thats what the JB is there for. This baby is there to shine when it comes time to mellow out. Oh and combined with the JB there is nothing the two of them cant do together.

Comments: I wanna try the DiMarzio PAF Pro and the Gibson classic 57 and see how they hold up against the SD '59. My last guitar was a Strat an I am loving the humbucking experience, but its still lacks the magic of a good singlecoil. My next venture will be a P90 in a semihollow. I will keep searching for "that" tone.

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: go to the website

Model of guitar or bass: epi les paul(can't afford a gibson, alright)
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: stock epi
Other pickups on guitar: duncan jb
Artists using this pickup: dunno
You musical style(s): everything jazz, blues, rock, metal,
Reason for pickup change: epi pickups blow goats for quarters

Perceived output level: not huge, very mellow pickup
Tone: got a little trebly, biting, I gotta role my tone down to five or lower
Sonic evaluation: I have a marshall 60, and a fender deville, use it wiht a line 6 pod and a crybaby wah and a boss mt-2

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: allright, bottom line, I don't use the neck pickup for crazy overdrive, that's what the jb is for. This pickup is silky sweet, full and gobs of great tone. Overdriven and clean, it does everything I want it to do, and sounds great the whole time. One of the best sounding pickups I've ever heard. I'm putting one in any humbucking guitar I ever buy.